Vancouver Executive Mentors
Christopher O'Riley, President & CEO, BC Hydro
Christopher O'Riley, leads BC Hydro, B.C.’s largest Crown corporation and the fourth largest company in the province as ranked by annual revenue. Powered by water, BC Hydro safely provides reliable, affordable, clean electricity to its four million customers.
To ensure a reliable supply of this critical product, BC Hydro is spending approximately $2 billion per year over the next 10 years to refurbish and expand its electricity assets. With construction of the Site C Project currently underway, BC Hydro continues to seek opportunities to support clean energy development in B.C., such as through low-carbon electrification.
Chris has held positions throughout the organization and across the province during his 31-year career with BC Hydro, including working with customers, leading operations, overseeing capital projects, and managing risk for BC Hydro's trading subsidiary, Powerex. Chris is a Professional Engineer in electrical engineering and holds a master's degree in Business Administration from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Marsha Walden, President & CEO, Destination Canada
Marsha Walden’s career spans leadership roles in strategy and organizational renewal, marketing and communications, corporate social responsibility, operations management, and business innovation. She has worked with enterprises in many of Canada’s flagship industries and found her true calling in tourism.
Marsha joined Destination Canada as President and CEO in August 2020 in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is proud to lead a team of passionate professionals who share a common purpose of inspiring those with glowing hearts to fall in love with Canada – enriching the lives of visitors and enhancing the quality of life of Canadians. Previously, Marsha led the team at Destination British Columbia, initiating ground-breaking strategies for tourism development and data-driven performance marketing.
A resident of North Vancouver, Marsha holds a bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and is an active volunteer with the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, BC Business Laureates, and The Presidents Group championing inclusive employment. Marsha’s glowing hearts Canadian moment was wildlife touring in Haida Gwaii and witnessing the prehistoric-looking spectacle of humpback whales bubble-net feeding nearby. “Their power and intelligence was breathtaking and humbling.”
Nick Dean is responsible for leading the efforts of senior executives to execute and develop current and long-range objectives, strategies and policies for the organization. His direct reports include operations, people and culture, marketing, corporate services and franchising. Mr. Dean joined The Keg in 2019 as President. Prior to that, Mr. Dean was the President and CEO of KBS Canada, The Keg’s advertising and communications agency for over 20 years. Mr. Dean attended the University of Western Ontario where he received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and McMaster University where he received an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Jerry W. Dobrovolny, Commissioner & Chief Administrative Officer, Metro Vancouver
With more than 30 years of experience in local government, large-scale infrastructure planning and operations management, Jerry Dobrovolny is a passionate advocate for local government leading Metro Vancouver’s 1,800-strong workforce in providing essential utility and other critical services to the region’s 23 member jurisdictions and 2.7 million residents. As stewards of over 25% of the Region’s land base that ranges from high mountain watersheds to fresh and salt water marshes, Metro Vancouver’s 150 scientists and technical staff are entrusted to protect the region’s most sensitive ecological habitats.
Previously City Engineer and General Manager of Engineering Services at the City of Vancouver, and a New Westminster city councillor, Jerry’s expertise and collaborative executive leadership skills spearhead Metro Vancouver’s ambitious policy and utility capital programmes. With an annual budget of $2.5 billion, priorities include upgrading multi-billion dollar utility systems, making the region more resilient against climate change, increasing the supply of affordable housing and delivering a regional strategy to bring economic prosperity and equity to all for generations to come.
Jerry has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia, a Professional Engineering designation and a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. He also played offensive tackle in the Canadian Football League from 1983 to 1987. Jerry and his family live in New Westminster.
Randy Fournier, CEO, PRT Growing Services
Randy Fournier is an accomplished forest and biochemical products industry executive with over 28 years of progressive leadership and strategic drive to sustainably maximize the value of Canada’s greatest renewable natural resource through effective business optimization, focused innovation, and competitively leading teams from their comfort zone to their growth zone.
In an extensive public and private markets career that has spanned all segments of the forest products industry, Randy has held senior executive leadership positions for North American and international teams and markets, including multi-investor joint-ventures, where accountability and strategic purpose went beyond simply “the P&L and Balance Sheet” to include people well-being, organizational development, corporate governance/stewardship, and process/product innovation to drive competitive strength in creating sustainable growth and profitability.
Most recently, Randy took his sincere passion for the socio-economic importance of trees and joined PRT Growing Services Ltd. as Chief Executive Officer to lead their next phase of growth towards becoming North America’s undisputed leader in forest seedling production by expanding the company’s position as the solution of choice to both the forest products industry and climate mitigation market.
Christine Bergeron, President & CEO, Vancity
As President and Chief Executive Officer of Vancity, Canada's largest community credit union, Christine Bergeron believes that banking plays a vital role in developing a healthy society - building the well-being of people and, at the same time, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the communities in which they live and work. Christine is also the CEO of Vancity’s federally chartered bank, Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB).
Prior to becoming CEO, Christine held several senior leadership roles within Vancity. Prior to joining the credit union, she spent her career working in early-stage venture capital, public markets and broadly with entrepreneurs; financing innovative companies and building financial firms – all focused within the cleantech, sustainability and impact investing sectors.
Christine's achievements in fostering community impact, social justice and environmental sustainability have earned her accolades from Business in Vancouver magazine as a previous Top 40 under 40 winner and influential business leader within British Columbia’s banking sector. In 2022, Christine was named as Corporate Leader in the Women of the Year awards by BC Business.
Christine chairs the board of InBC Investment Corp., and currently represents North America on the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative’s Banking Board. She is a member of the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Finance Action Council. She serves on the board of Aviso Wealth and the Board of Governors for the BC Business Council.
